1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a table which is placed in a gaming establishment such as a casino and on which various games are played, and a system for managing the progress of a game played on the table and information regarding the game such as players and dealers.
2. Related Art
Games played in a gaming establishment such as a casino are carried out by betting gaming chips such as so-called casino chips. Gaming chips are medium having negotiable values, which function as coins used in the gaming establishment. Therefore, various frauds can happen involving the gaming chips in the gaming establishment.
From such a perspective, a game table which uses a chip with an RF tag embedded therein as a gaming chip, detects the location of the chip on a game table such as a casino table by an antenna, analyzes the gaming chip placed on the game table and indicates the results of analysis on a display has been suggested (for example, refer to United States Patent Publication No. 2009/0170595).
Moreover, a chip tray for collectively managing gaming chips handled by a dealer and a system using the chip tray has been also suggested (for example, refer to United States Patent Publication No. 2007/0184898). This chip tray is provided with a plurality of sensors corresponding to each of a plurality of locations on which can be placed gaming chips. This plurality of sensors can detect whether or not the gaming chips are placed on each of the plurality of locations.
Table games such as poker, Baccarat, and roulette are played on a table for game play such as a casino table. These table games require players and dealers. Human beings like players and dealers mediate the progress of the game. Therefore, to ensure the validity of the game, it is indispensable that both the players and dealers make no fraud or human error when they handle cards such as playing cards and gaming chips.
A fraud by of a player needs to be found since it causes other player disadvantages. However, if a player who has not committed any fraud should be erroneously determined as having done so, the player rightfully enjoying the game play is brought under suspicion of a fraud, which is not only unpleasant for the player, but is also adversely affecting other players nearby. Moreover, erroneous judgment of a fraud may reduce the reliability of the gaming establishment. For such reasons, game tables and game table systems which can precisely determine frauds are desired.
Table games such as poker, Baccarat, and roulette require a dealer. The possibility that the dealer commits a fraud for his/her acquaintances is also quite anticipated. Moreover, when the dealer does not have enough experience and knowledge as a dealer or is unskilled, it is anticipated that he/she makes a human error although it is not a fraud. In gaming establishments, although new dealers receive training, sufficient time and costs cannot be spent training of the dealers on in some cases. For such reasons, when some dealers are not able to proceed a game play smoothly, or they make mistakes frequently, that may irritate or upset players. Moreover, it may arouse suspicion among players if the gaming establishment has the dealer commit frauds, which may reduce the reliability of the gaming establishment. For such reasons, a game table and a game table system which can prevent human errors by the dealer who is human are desired.
As the game table mentioned above, in gaming establishments such as casinos, various devices and systems are sometimes introduced for finding and preventing frauds in recent years. However, even if such devices and systems are introduced, it is unknown when and where in the gaming establishment frauds and human errors occur. For such reasons, the entire gaming establishment needs to be always monitored and controlled, and a great amount of management data such as signals transmitted from sensors and collected data must be processed. However, if such processes cannot be executed in real time, it is difficult to quickly find frauds on the spot.
Furthermore, extra time required for processing management data which interrupts or delays the progress of the game may lead to irritation of players. In the case where such events occur consecutively in the gaming establishment, the reliability of the gaming establishment may be lowered. Therefore, processing of various signals transmitted from sensors and the like processing of collected data need to be quickly executed.
In the entire gaming establishment, a great amount of administrative data must be processed, but in each of the game table, the progress of game itself is often lower than the processing rates of various devices and systems, and there is often spare time for such processing at each game table. By using such spare time, providing various functions convenient for players as a service is also possible.